1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,000
Alright.

2
00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,920
Even as the President and members of his cabinet make campaign swings through Wisconsin

3
00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:39,760
this week, the Trump administration is working behind the scenes on the electoral process

4
00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:42,440
leading up to the November elections.

5
00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:47,520
This week, the U.S. Postal Service released its proposed rule attached to the President's

6
00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:54,360
March executive order titled Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections.

7
00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:58,440
That's an order Governor Tony Evers at the time called BS.

8
00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:03,040
The order instructs the Departments of Homeland Security and Social Security to send state

9
00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:08,600
election officials lists of confirmed U.S. citizens and prevents mail-in ballots to

10
00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:10,760
anyone not on the list.

11
00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:15,880
Add to that the FBI has been in Milwaukee interviewing and seeking to talk with election

12
00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:21,640
officials who worked the 2020 election that Trump declares he actually won but didn't.

13
00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:27,520
Trump maintains his loss was a result of widespread voter fraud which never proved out.

14
00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:32,760
That against all this, we turn to Wisconsin Elections Commission Chair-elect, Republican

15
00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:33,760
member Don Millis.

16
00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:36,960
And Mr. Millis, thanks very much for being here.

17
00:01:36,960 --> 00:01:38,520
Great to see you.

18
00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:43,000
So is it another rough and tumble election cycle staring down the Wisconsin Elections

19
00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:44,000
Commission?

20
00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:47,600
Well, more of the rough and tumble certainly is going to be in the political ads that

21
00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:49,560
are run between the candidates.

22
00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:53,840
You know, this has always been an issue for the Elections Commission.

23
00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:58,600
You know, there will be lawsuits and counter lawsuits and proposed regulations.

24
00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:00,640
You know, I'm not too worried about it.

25
00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:05,080
I know that the things that really bother me the most, that concern me the most are making

26
00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:08,920
sure that absentee ballots, if they're mailed like a week or two before the election, they

27
00:02:08,920 --> 00:02:13,320
get there on Election Day, those are things that we're working to try to, working with

28
00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:18,120
the post office to make sure that that happens, those are things that concern me the most.

29
00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:22,680
Because what has called on the U.S. Postal Service to speed up deliveries of absentee

30
00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:29,360
ballots after I read two-thirds of clerks reported mail delays during the April 7 election.

31
00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:30,360
How bad was it?

32
00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:37,080
Well, it was so bad that when the Commission staff sent out a questionnaire to clerks,

33
00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:42,520
they've got an overwhelming and historic response from clerks, typically clerks don't respond.

34
00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,640
There was a huge, huge concern.

35
00:02:45,640 --> 00:02:50,520
The staff have met with the Postal Service officials.

36
00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:55,480
We are trying to get what's known as enhanced delivery procedures that they would agree

37
00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:57,480
to when we have elections.

38
00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:04,480
This would mean, for example, that when you put a return, a ballot to Madison or Grafton

39
00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:10,000
or Eau Claire, it wouldn't have to go to Milwaukee or Minneapolis would go straight

40
00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:11,000
to the clerk.

41
00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:12,360
And so those are things we're working on.

42
00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:15,880
Those are the things we do behind the scenes that no one really seems to pay much attention

43
00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:16,880
to.

44
00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:18,400
I glad that you're paying attention to it.

45
00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:23,120
We can really make sure that our elections are done effectively and interested.

46
00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:26,880
Have you had any response from the USPS on that?

47
00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:31,760
I think the staff have indicated that it was a generally a very positive response.

48
00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:37,400
I think there's a dedication to making sure that absentee ballots are returned promptly,

49
00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:39,880
having multiple deliveries on Election Day, things like that.

50
00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:43,120
I think it was a very constructive conversation.

51
00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:48,680
As to these federally generated voter lists for delivery of absentee ballots, do you think

52
00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:49,680
that's a good idea?

53
00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:51,680
Well, I think it's problematic.

54
00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:57,720
I mean, one of the concerns is they want to use intelligent mail barcodes on the return.

55
00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:01,720
We use those when ballots are sent out.

56
00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,840
Again, the problem with that is it delays it.

57
00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:09,400
I'm guessing that, as with so many other executive orders and regulations that have come out

58
00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:14,680
of the Obama, Trump, Biden, Trump, White Houses, the courts are going to have their

59
00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:20,120
say, if it looks like it's going to pass muster with the courts, that's when we're probably

60
00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:21,120
become concerned.

61
00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:23,280
Well, I certainly have contingency plans.

62
00:04:23,280 --> 00:04:25,440
It looks like it's going to fall into place.

63
00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:32,120
But what was published last week was just a preliminary notice and comment in the federal

64
00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:33,120
register.

65
00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:38,720
I'm not, I think it's unlikely that that regulation is going to be in play for the

66
00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:39,720
November election.

67
00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:45,680
So, what is your response to the FBI poking around on the 2020 election in Wisconsin specifically

68
00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:46,680
in Milwaukee?

69
00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:50,320
Well, I've seen politicians on the press report about it.

70
00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:54,960
Everything that I've seen and talking to people who have been interviewed is that the

71
00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:56,600
interviews have been professional.

72
00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:00,280
They've been done by career employees.

73
00:05:00,280 --> 00:05:02,480
And it wasn't really what I call an investigation.

74
00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:08,080
I think there's an effort to prepare a report for probably somewhat higher up in the Department

75
00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:09,920
of Justice or the FBI.

76
00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,280
I am not confident that anything more will come of it.

77
00:05:13,280 --> 00:05:17,720
Certainly the conversation that was reported in the press with the Election Commission

78
00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:24,000
staffer, the questions that were asked were, can you debunk these election conspiracy theories?

79
00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:26,960
I think the staffer did a very good job of that.

80
00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:29,800
And so, I'm not sure that we'll have an investigation.

81
00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:36,040
I think it's hopefully doubtful that we'll see the FBI come in to any clerk's office

82
00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:39,640
in Milwaukee or Madison or elsewhere with a search warrant.

83
00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:44,560
I think mostly what's going on is that they're trying to draft a report so that those at Washington

84
00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:46,200
can evaluate.

85
00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:50,600
With all of this happening behind the scenes really, what should voters do to make sure

86
00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:53,880
they can cast a ballot that is counted?

87
00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:59,120
Well, certainly go on my vote, make sure that you're voting in the right place.

88
00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:02,400
If you're going to vote absentee and we don't want to discourage people from doing that,

89
00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:07,520
make sure you get your ballot, fill it out, send it back early, or if you're concerned

90
00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:13,720
about the mails, place it in a secure drop box if your municipality has one or deliver

91
00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:14,720
it to your clerk.

92
00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:15,720
That's the most important thing.

93
00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:16,720
All right.

94
00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:17,720
We leave it there.

95
00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:18,720
Don Miller's.

96
00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:19,720
Thanks very much.

97
00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:20,720
Thank you.

98
00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:21,720
Have a good weekend.

99
00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:22,720
Perfect timing.

100
00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:23,720
Thank you.

101
00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:34,840
Well, it's more due to you, and I try not to filibuster, so maybe some of your guests.

102
00:06:34,840 --> 00:06:36,720
What else do you want to make?

103
00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:38,560
You got that right.

104
00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:46,920
We're talking to early childhood association about the, you know, the elimination or the

105
00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:51,280
end of those childcare subsidies.

106
00:06:51,280 --> 00:06:52,640
We have Donald Trump.

107
00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:56,040
We are not interviewing him, but we are showing him.

108
00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:57,040
Is it today?

109
00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:58,040
Is it day to day?

110
00:06:58,040 --> 00:06:59,040
Yeah.

111
00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:00,040
Yeah.

112
00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:01,040
Chippewa, Chippewa County.

113
00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:02,040
Cool.

114
00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:08,760
Oh, we have a nice story about the number of closures of rural schools.

115
00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:12,600
Oh, you know, good news as usual.

116
00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:13,600
All over the place.

117
00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:15,600
Yeah, I guess so.

118
00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:16,600
Okay.

119
00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:17,600
Well, good enough.

120
00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:18,600
Have a good weekend.

121
00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:19,600
Thank you.

122
00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:19,640
You too.